June
by golden.rebels
Summary: His eyes were on her as she climbed off of the hood. Her long hair nearly glowed under the bright moonlight, but it was that wild smile that had his full attention. "You comin' or what?" she teased. He didn't think twice when he pulled her in close and when that wild smile only grew, he nearly lost it. This girl was something else. Soda/OC
1. Rodeo

**A/N:** I have every intention of continuing my Pony/OC story, but I've struck inspiration with another story as well! Hope you like it!

* * *

The sun was hot and the air was thick for late September. While the entire week had shown signs of an early autumn with its high winds and ever-changing leaves, today felt more like it belonged in late June; too muggy and too hot to be considered fall.

However, despite the raging sun and high temperatures, the Open Ranch Rodeo had opened its rusted gates for its fortieth season – and glory, were the grounds shaking.

People of all ages had come from all over Tulsa to watch the Rodeo. It may not have been the only rodeo in town, but it was by far the most exciting with its various events including barrel racing and calf roping. But possibly its most rousing event was the Daredevil competition – an event that included both bull _and_ bronc riding – _that_ event was what drew the biggest crowd.

And today was no different.

Even under the hot Tulsa sun, the crowd that gathered to watch the first slew of bronc riders was bigger than ever. There were at least two hundred people, all cheering and hollering whenever a rider was flung from his horse. For most, it was purely entertainment, but to some it was much more than that.

For Sodapop Curtis, watching the riders and the horses, watching _any_ of the events really, was nearly hypnotic. He had never fully outgrown his love for horses, not in all the years since Mickey Mouse, and coming to rodeos and watching each event made him feel at home.

"Woo-ee," Steve whistled as a smaller rider practically flew across the grounds. "D'ya see that one, Soda? I tell ya, I don't know how they ain't broke every bone in their back by now."

Soda smirked and took a sip of the Coke bottle he had been holding onto most of the day. It was hot enough for a beer but he knew the fuzz was out patrolling and he was not about to risk getting booted from the one event he had been dying to see all because he had been drinking underage.

"Shoot, what'd he last? Four seconds?" Two-Bit asked, taking a sip from the half-assed attempt of his hidden whiskey bottle. "That's worse than you, Steve-O!" He howled with laughter at his own joke causing his booze to jostle out of the bottle and splash all over not only his lap, but the girl to his left.

"Hey!" She screeched, patting down her short skirt. "Watch it, would ya?"

Her name was Lynn Munroe and though Soda hadn't been too familiar with the brunette, he had seen her around when he and Sandy had been going steady. She was a friend of Evie's and when Steve had told them that she would be meeting them down at the rodeo, he wasn't _too_ shocked to see the two other girls had tagged along. They were nice enough, sure, but Lynn was always a bit of a loud mouth. The other girl – Stella - she was alright, though.

Soda grinned at his friends antics and took another small sip of his Coke. Two-Bit might have been underage as well, but he had a horseshow up his rear when it came to slipping out of trouble. Nobody knew how he did it, but he managed to swindle his way out of any altercation with the fuzz. It was a gift.

Rather than commenting on Two-Bit's obvious jab, Steve simply smacked the back of his rusty head and muttered a few choice words beneath his breath. The group had been sitting in the stands directly beside where the bronc's were held and though there were much better seats to be had, they were more than content to stay where they were. Not only was it a decent view of the riders, but Glory did it offer a good sweep of the girls circling the event. Soda had already seen a few that had caught his eye, but he had only shot them a smile. He wasn't interested in that tonight, tonight it was about the rodeo.

But as a pretty redhead walked by with three of her friends, he found his eyes wandering down her slim body and immediately smirked to himself. Tonight may have been about the rodeo, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the view.

The crack of the gate slamming behind a rider as he rode out atop a bucking bronc snapped Soda out of his reverie and he immediately allowed his eyes to find the rider. The man, whoever he was, was good. Much better than the other few had been and as he continued to ride amidst the chaos the horse offered him, Soda found himself nearly slack-jawed.

"Jesus, ya see this guy!?" Steve barked, his expression quite similar to Sodapop's.

As if on cue, the man finally caught one harsh buck that sent him flying off the horse, but even then he seemed to land much more gracefully than any of the other riders. Whoever he was, he was good. Damn good.

" _And that folks was our Tulsa native Terry Parker with the lead so far! A whopping eighty-two points for his twelve second run!"_

"Eighty-two," Soda repeated, slowly shaking his head in shock. "That's one of the best I've seen."

"I think I remember him from last year," Steve agreed, taking a seat back beside Evie who merely continued to converse with Lynn as Steve draped his arm over her shoulders.

But Two-Bit wasn't listening, not completely anyway. Instead, his eyes were focused in on a girl a few yards away. She was leaning against the fence watching the event take place with a wide grin on her pretty face and, judging by the clothes she wore, she had been working the rodeo. He had seen a few girls dressed like that over the course of the day, each selling packs of Camel's to those dumb enough to buy a slightly overpriced pack of darts.

But none of them looked as swell in the uniform. Not a damn one.

She was wearing a white short-sleeved blouse neatly tucked into a thigh-high black skirt and wore a red kerchief around her neck with pair of red cowboy boots to match. To top the uniform off, she wore a black cowboy hat overtop her long blonde hair which had been neatly pulled off into two braids.

She looked like something straight out of a pin-up and Two-Bit was sure his smile couldn't get any wider.

"You boys got some change?" He slurred with a wild grin. "I've got an itching for some Camels."

"Since when in hell do you buy your own joints?" Soda joked, turning his head to look at Two-Bit who was much too focused on something else to even notice.

Evie craned her neck around to peer at Two-Bit only to follow his line of sight. With a quiet chuckle, she hit Steve on the chest and shook her head. "Since the girl sellin' 'em looks like that."

Despite the action going on before him, Sodapop glanced at Two-Bit and followed his stare only to find the source of his sudden need of Camel's. He couldn't blame him, though. The girl, whoever she was, was a looker – he didn't have to see her up close to tell that much. She was leggy and she was blonde – and she had Soc written all over her.

Not that Soda particularly cared all that much – any girl was fair game, but this one was alone. He never was too hot on the idea of speaking dirty to a girl without a few friends around her. Situations like that could lead to trouble, even if it was all harmless banter. Besides, today was meant to be about the rodeo, about the parties afterwards – not about picking up broads. Even if they did look like that.

"Eh," Soda waved his hand in an attempt to dismiss the blonde. "Leave 'er alone, she's workin'."

"Besides, she's going to take one whiff of you and smell the booze all over you. Your pants included." Lynn reminded them, crossing her arms over her chest as she observed the girl from afar.

"Well she can take 'em right off if she has a problem with them." Two-Bit howled, hopping down from the stand onto the dusty ground. "You won't hear a peep from me!"

Before any of them could think to stop him, Two-Bit Mathews marched down towards the blonde and shoved his hands inside of his pockets. Despite the alcohol coursing through his body he still managed to look tuff as nails and agile as a fox approaching its prey. It was almost impressive.

"Hey baby," Two-Bit uttered from behind her.

The girl instantly turned on her heel and glanced at Two-Bit. She seemed to just look at him for a few moments before hesitantly shooting him a small smile. "Hey." she muttered, throwing a look over her shoulder to the competition still taking place.

"You wouldn't happen to have some more of those Camel's on you, would ya darlin'?" He asked, leaning against the rail she had previously leaned upon. "Saw a few of you sellin' em earlier."

The girl shot him a small smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Wish I could help, but I sold out a few hours ago." Thinking that was it, the girl turned on her heel to continue watching the event but noticed the man didn't budge. Slowly, she looked back at Two-Bit and then back to the group he had originally come from. "Maybe your friends have some extra sticks they could give you."

"Ya think so?" Two-Bit asked, following her gaze back to his group of friends. "You heard her! Any of you punks have a cig?"

Steve was grinning ear to ear as he brought out a pack from his own back pocket, waving them at Two-Bit's face tauntingly just as Soda pulled one out from behind his ear. "Seems so." He called out, enjoying the shocked face of his friend maybe a little _too_ much.

Two-Bit could have killed them. Busting his balls like they had the right!

Finally, a rather genuine smile pulled at the blonde's lips as she looked back at Two-Bit. "Well, _seems so_ is right." She teased with a hand on her hip. "Lucky you for havin' such good buddies."

Despite himself, Two-Bit grinned at her words and sipped from his booze. "You got a name, baby?"

The blonde smirked and though she was still weary of the rusty-haired man before her, she nodded her head. "I do, but baby ain't it." She could hear one of the boys behind her chuckle but she didn't dare look at just who it came from. Instead, she eyed the one before her for another moment before clearing her throat. "You might wanna get back to your buddies before the girl you were sittin' with gets the wrong idea."

"Who?" Two-Bit looked at Lynn and swatted his hand in her direction. "Naw, that ain't nothin'."

"Mhmm," was all she said before pushing herself off and away from the wall completely. "Well, even if I believed that, I should be going anyway." She fixed her skirt and glanced at Two-Bit and the rest of group just behind him. "Enjoy the rodeo!" She said somewhat stiffly, though the small smile on her face looked to be pretty genuine.

Before Two-Bit could even think to say something that could stop her, the blonde turned on her heel and walked away leaving a smirking Two-Bit in tow. "I think she liked me." He teased, walking up the stands to take his seat beside Lynn once again.

* * *

The sun was long gone as the night once again claimed Tulsa but the festivities at the rodeo were still a go. The crowds were rowdy, the drinks were flowing and the competitions were still underway.

It had cooled some too, thankfully, and as a rather chilled breeze blew throughout the dusty grounds, June Parker shivered but rejoiced all the same. It had been too hot for September but _this_ was perfect. This she could handle.

With a subtle hand, she adjusted the kerchief around her neck and looked around at the massive crowds around her. There were people of all ages still circling around the lot but she had noticed the crowd had definitely gotten older as the night wore on. She could spot more people she knew, more people her age, most had somehow swindled alcohol into the event but she wasn't about to stop them. She had even seen her best friend, Stella, along with their group of friends drinking down by the barrel racing event. She may have even partaken if she hadn't been working.

She had been doing these sorts of events for as long as she could remember, but the older she got, the jobs varied in description. When she was younger, she was helping with the horses and farm hands, when she got to be a little older she was in charge of saddling and now that she was eighteen, she had somehow been talked into selling Camel cigarettes.

The outfit might have been a little revealing, but the money for what she was doing was worth it. If walking around the rodeo selling cigarette's was all it took to bring in a few extra dollars, so be it.

"Hey, Juney," A voice called out from behind her. Slowly, she turned on her red boots only to find her older brother Terry walking towards her. He was wearing a beige button-down shirt tucked idly into his Wrangler jeans, but it was his infamous brown cowboy hat that had caught her attention. He only ever wore that hat during his rides. _He must not be finished yet,_ she thought. "You seen Geraldine anywhere?" he asked.

Terry was twenty-four and had been riding in rodeos practically his whole life. From the time they were kids, their parents – Martha and James Parker – had insisted they familiarize themselves with all things equestrian, it just so happened that Terry and their younger sister Geraldine were the ones to truly take the bait. Terry rode the broncs while Geraldine, their thirteen year old sister, leaned towards barrel racing.

And they were damn good too.

"No, not for a couple hours. Have you checked by the stables? Her event is up soon, I'm sure she'll be there." June muttered, flashing a rather large smile to a man obviously interested in buying a pack of cigarettes. When the man walked on without a purchase, her smile fell slightly as she looked back up at her older brother. "You got another ride or somethin'?" she asked, flicking up the brim of his hat. "You look real goofy, by the way."

A wry grin graced Terry's lips. "Says the pin-up. I almost knocked one of the other riders out the way he was talkin' about you."

"It's a gift," she replied airily, waving her hand playfully. "But do you? Have another ride, I mean?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "In about forty minutes or so."

"Alright," she nodded, "I'll be over there to watch. I'll round up Geraldine before hand, too. She missed your first few rides."

He simply nodded his head. "S'alright, I suppose. I missed hers too."

June opened her mouth to retort but stopped upon seeing a group of girls just behind her brother's back. They must have recognized just who he was and she almost smirked when they began to point and talk amongst themselves. "Seems you've got a couple fans there, cowboy."

With a quick glance over his shoulder, Terry caught the group of admiring girls and immediately smirked to himself. "See you later, Juney. Wish me luck."

She didn't bother with a goodbye as he was halfway to the group before she could even think to open her mouth, but she waved him off regardless. "Good luck you horn dog." She mumbled under her breath. She wandered around the grounds for another few minutes after that, hoping for a sale or two to make the time go by a little faster. She could see Geraldine off in the distance with a few girls her own age and made a mental note of the location to ensure she could find her again come time for Terry's final ride.

Another few minutes ticked by before she finally called it quits. There were at least four other girls all patrolling the rodeo selling the same cigarettes as she – there was no need for her. Or at least that was what she told herself as she hung the apron full of cigarettes back in the tent before walking over towards the practice grounds. She had a good twenty-five minutes or so until her brother's last ride of the night and she wasn't about to spend it throwing elbows trying to find a seat. She would watch it by the gates like she had done so many times before.

Besides, she had dealt with crowds all day and as she took in the near empty region of the practice area, she felt her body relax.

Slowly, the blonde took a seat on the stands and stretched out her long legs as she slowly began to unbraid her hair. In the distance, she could hear the galloping of hooves on the dirt floors before her and it immediately brought on a sense of calmness.

She had spent her entire childhood with these animals, and though she hadn't quite made the impact her two siblings had in the equine world, she still quite liked being around them.

"Thought I was the only one crazy enough to be watchin' a practice run."

June snapped her head in the direction of the voice only to find a boy around her age standing a few feet away. She recognized him immediately from the little altercation she had had with his buddy a few hours back, but he hadn't said anything then. He was a good looking boy; she had noticed that right off the bat. He had one of those faces that belonged in Hollywood – one that could have given James Dean a run for his money.

"I'm only here to avoid work," she half-joked as she placed the cowboy hat on the bench beside her. "What's your excuse?"

A slow, lazy grin tugged up the corner of the boy's lips as he continued to stand a few feet away. "Walkin' around looking pretty doesn't sound too hard. Not near hard enough to avoid doin' it."

A small smile pulled at her lips. "And yet, here I am." She said as she finished unbraiding her hair. "Did your friend ever get his Camel's?" she asked, leaning back on the palms of her hands as she turned her attention back to the rider circling the field.

"Naw," He told her. "Kept sayin' that you broke his heart. Turned him right off of the damn things."

Her smile grew as she slowly turned to look back at the dark-haired boy. "That so?" she asked, allowing the cool breeze to blow through her hair. A moment of silence passed between them before she gestured down to the bench. "You gonna sit down or were you waiting for an invitation?"

"More or less," Sodapop joked, but took the stands two rows at a time until he reached the blonde. "What's a girl like you doing at the rodeo by herself now, anyway?"

June glanced at him and took in his red plaid shirt that he wore overtop of a grease-stained white shirt. All signs pointed to this boy being a hood, but she stood her ground. She'd wrestled a calf once as child when it tried to escape from their old farm, she'd handle him too if he tried to get fresh.

"My brother and sister are participants. And I," she gestured down to the uniform, "am workin'. Or should be, anyway." She chanced a tiny smirk. "You caught me at a bad time, I guess."

Soda smiled and rolled up the sleeves of his raggedy old plaid shirt. "And earlier? That a bad time, too?" he teased, casting a long sideways glance at her as she fiddled with the kerchief around her neck.

"I was on my break," she affirmed. "'Sides, my brother was riding. I had an excuse."

 _Brother?_ He thought before realization dawned on him. "Wait, your brother is Terry Parker?"

To those who actually followed the rodeo circuits around Oklahoma, Terry had earned quite a name for himself. Over the last few years especially she was finding that that particular question had been popping up more and more the better her brother got. "The one and only."

"Gee, you must be quite the rider yourself, then!" He exclaimed, his eyes still wide. "I'm Sodapop, by the way. Sodapop Curtis."

The girl looked at him properly this time around the second his name had rolled off of his tongue. She had heard that name many times from Stella; she was always talking about how handsome the boy at working down at the DX was. Little did June know just how true Stella's words had been.

"Sodapop, eh?" she asked. She watched as he seemed to take in a long breath of air, obviously expecting a series of questions about his name like he had probably been getting from the time he was old enough to answer them. So, instead of asking him about it, she simply shrugged and looked back at the practice runs. "But to answer your question, no. I don't ride much these days. And I'm certainly not up to par with Terry."

He seemed to consider this for a few long seconds before he too turned his attention back to the riders. "You got a name yourself? You never did answer Two-Bit earlier."

 _Two-Bit_? She repeated in confusion. _What are with these names?_ "June." She finally said. "Like the month."

Sodapop looked back at the girl and noticed that her eyes were still cast ahead at the action before them. _June_ , he repeated to himself. The name suited her for whatever reason. Whether it was her still sun-kissed skin from the summertime or her dark blonde hair blowing around like wheat, _something_ about the girl reminded him of summer. And it was in that, that the name suited her just fine.

"So, what really brings you to this area, hmm?" she asked, leaning forward so that her hands curled beneath the bench as she tilted her head forward to peer at his face. "Can't tell me you were that bored."

Soda shrugged. "Not bored, no. Maybe I saw you comin' up here, and wanted to talk to ya." He raised his brows as if to let her know he was only teasing, but she smiled slightly nonetheless. "Or maybe, I just like horses."

"Must be the first one." She joked, spotting Geraldine from a mile away. Somehow, somewhere in the Parker gene pool – there was a redhead. And whoever it was all those years ago, had given her little sister hair brighter than fire itself. She stuck out like a sore thumb in a family full of blondes.

The youngest Parker was walking over towards the pair with a candy apple in hand and a few medals around her neck. She could see even from her viewpoint the odd look her younger sister gave her upon noticing just who she was sitting with.

"Friend of yours?" Sodapop asked innocently, watching the younger girl approach them.

June looked at him and chuckled quietly. "My little sister, actually."

Soda took in the younger girls slight frame and then glanced down at the heavy medals around her neck. "She rides, too!?" he asked in shock.

"Sure does," June stood up to her full height and brushed off her skirt. "Barrel racing."

Slowly, Soda joined the girl in standing before gazing down at her. She was tall, that much he had already established from the legs she had poking out from beneath the black skirt she wore, but he was still a few inches taller than her. "Family full of rodeo stars. You sure you don't ride?"

She had this way of smiling just slightly. _Just_ enough to show him that his playful jabs had not been in vain. "Quite sure of it, actually." She told him. "I wasn't built for the rodeo." Was all she said before scooping up her black cowboy hat. "It was nice talkin' to you, Sodapop."

Before he could think of saying a quick goodbye of his own, she was off. He watched her go and nearly laughed out loud when her little sister gaped at Soda from below the stands. But June never once looked back, simply just continued to walk with her little sister before sliding her black hat on her sisters red hair.

"Who was that?" Geraldine asked, looking over her shoulder every three seconds at the handsome stranger. "Was he a hood?"

"Maybe," June answered with a shrug. "Just a guy who liked horses is all."

Geraldine considered this for a second before looking up at the blonde. "Ya think he's cute?"

With a quiet scoff, June peered down at her sister and shook her head. "What I think is if we don't hurry up, we're gonna miss Terry's ride." She shot her sister a look. "That's what I think."

* * *

 **A/N:** Just a heads up, the idea of June's uniform is inspired from a picture I had seen of a drawing from the 60's and is indeed of the times. I also realize that in the books, Soda has blonde hair but I can't picture anyone but Rob Lowe as Soda and it's for my own selfish ways that he's a brunette in this story! Hope this doesn't offend anyone, haha.

 _Please_ review! Tell me how you're liking it (or not liking it…? Haha) it definitely inspires me to update a little faster.


	2. Drive In

" _I don't need to hug or hold you tight  
I just want to dance with you all night_."

-The Beatles-

* * *

"So, what's this Geraldine's tellin' me about you and Sodapop Curtis?"

June furled her brow and peered across at her friend, Stella Moseby, who sat with a broad smirk across her lips in the passenger's side of June's green Chevy. The girl's raven hair blew with the breeze that blew in through her open window, but it never once shielded the obvious grin she had plaguing her rosy lips.

"Ridiculous," June mumbled under her breath as she turned her attention back to the road. "She's been gabbin' on about that to anyone who would listen since the damn rodeo." She turned a left onto Church Street and shook her head. "Nothing even happened, I don't know where she's getting this from."

Stella's grin only grew. "Well, what _did_ happen?"

June blinked and glanced at her friend. "Nothing," she stated. "I was waiting for Terry's last ride and my feet were killin' me from those boots so I went to the practice area and ran into him. That's all there is to it." She could see, even from the corner of her eye, that Stella was still smirking, but she tried to pay no mind as she came to a brief stop. "Quit smilin' like you know something when you don't."

"Oh, come _on_ Juney!" Stella gasped out, turning her body so she faced the blonde. She slapped her knee excitedly before letting out a laugh. "Have you seen that boy? He could make Bobby Rydell look like a heifer. You don't just _talk_ to a boy like Sodapop Curtis. You just can't!"

"Well, I did." June said with a small smile. "And I'd hardly call Bobby Rydell a heifer. Sodapop's a good looking boy but—"

"But _nothing_. You've lost your marbles. You had him in your hands and you just let him walk away."

June grinned at her friend's dramatics. "If you like him so much, what's stopping you from going after him?"

"Oh, please," Stella grumbled, shifting her body once again so she faced forward. "My parents would kill me if they knew I was commiseratin' with a Greaser. That's why I only ever talk to him at the DX. You know that."

And she did. June knew firsthand how strict Stella's parents were and even though the times were slowly changing, Mr. and Mrs. Moseby certainly were not. The two families had lived next door to each other for years, and June was no stranger to their ways. Sure, they loved Stella to death, but like many people in their area, they still turned their nose up at those from the East side of town.

Even her own loving parents had their moments of ignorance, and she would be the first to admit that maybe she did, too. The divide may have been getting smaller and smaller with each passing day – but it would take years for it to go away completely. If it ever really did.

"Yeah, well." She let the sentence hang in the air, not completely sure of what to say next. Instead, she glanced over at her friend and quietly cleared her throat. "I agreed to go on a date tonight with Teddy Boseman."

The silence that fell over the two girls after those few words had slipped out of her mouth was long and tense. It wasn't until Stella peered across at the blonde that June was even sure she had heard her in the first place. "How did that come about?"

Teddy Boseman was a boy who had worked alongside June's father at the hospital. He was relatively new having worked there for no more than six months, but he had made an impact and all June had been hearing about for the last month was how well-suited the pair would be.

"Agreeing to it was a lot easier than hearin' them harp on about how good he'd be to me." She rolled her jade eyes and glanced at Stella. "He's taking me to a movie down at the drive-in tonight."

Stella winced at June's misfortune. She had heard June's father, Archie, talk for days about Teddy Boseman – a boy two years older than them – who was both extremely smart and witty. "Maybe it won't be so bad." She tried to reason. "Want me to tag along?"

June smirked as she made one final left onto their street. "You wanna come on a date _with_ me?" she asked. "And I'm the one who's lost her marbles."

"Think about it, Juney!" Stella quipped. "I'll tag along with ya, make sure you aren't bored to death and if things between you two get a little heated then I'll be on my merry way! I'm sure I'll run into somebody we know."

The blonde came to a stop outside of their separate houses. "You really would do that?"

Stella grinned and unbuckled her belt. "Sure, I would. So long as _you_ buy the popcorn and _you_ by the drinks." She winked across at her friend. "And maybe we'll throw in a burger next week down at the Ribbon. Do we have a deal?"

June's small smirk turned into a giant grin as she lunged across the seat to embrace her dear friend. "Thank-you, thank-you, _thank-you!_ " June muttered into Stella's shoulder. "I'll buy you ten burgers, I don't even care. Thank-you!"

"One'll do just fine," Stella laughed. "He drivin' down there?"

"Should be," June nodded and pulled away from the dark-haired girl. "I'll have to phone him and let him know ahead of time that you'll be chummin' along with us. I'll make up some story about you being heartbroken and how you shouldn't be left alone with your thoughts."

Stella laughed. "Sounds about right to me. See ya 'round seven then?" She hopped out of the Chevy and shot the blonde one final smile before crossing their shared lawn to her own house.

June waved the girl off and unbuckled her own belt as the Chevy's engine cut. It had been her brother's truck when he had first turned 16 back in 1958 and though it was a brand new model back then, it had since seen better days. The mileage on it had already been high from travelling across the southern U.S for Terry's Rodeo's and now that June had gotten her hands on it, the range only got worse.

That was half the reason she worked so many of the rodeos. She supposed, in all honesty, she didn't really _need_ to work; the car was still running and despite the mileage, it was in good shape – but saving up for a new car was never a bad thing.

Slowly, she pushed open the doors of the Chevy and hopped out of the truck. She received a small, polite wave from her neighbor across the way and had Edna Fairbanks, a particularly nosy neighbor, even stop to ask about her sister's big win at the rodeo.

"It was good," June uttered back politely. "She did great."

Some more brief small talk was made before she finally managed to push open her front door and head inside. She could smell her mother's infamous chocolate chip cookies cooking somewhere off in the distance and she immediately smiled to herself.

Even if she had nothing else to look forward to that night, at least she would get a batch of those cookies.

* * *

"This ain't botherin' you is it? Me sitting on your lap and all?"

Sodapop never did much like the movies, but glory did he love the action that went with them. He was currently sitting in the chairs towards the back of the drive in with Steve, Evie and another light-haired broad named Donna, who had done nothing but grind her pretty little bottom into his crotch for the last hour or so.

Was he complaining? Absolutely not. But hell, did he wish she'd quit teasing him and actually do _something_. He supposed she might have if Steve and Evie hadn't been right beside them, but he wasn't quite sure how long he could hold out for.

"No, 'course not." He sputtered out, grasping her hips as she wriggled her hips once again. He would need to get her somewhere and fast.

"I wouldn't sweat it there, Donna. Soda's _just_ fine." Steve smirked and looked at Soda who only clenched his jaw as she continued to tease him. "Little tense there, buddy?"

But Soda didn't answer. Instead, he merely lulled his head to the side and shot him a look that clearly conveyed how frustrated he was. Steve didn't bother hiding his boisterous laugh after that. Even as Evie nudged him in the ribs and a few people shushed him, he didn't bother trouncing his amusement.

Seemingly not quite catching onto Steve's hysterics, Donna turned her head to look at Soda whose dark brown eyes were clouded over in what she could only assume to be lust. "You busy after the movie, baby?"

 _After the movie_? Soda thought to himself. He swallowed hard and looked up into the girl's pretty hazel eyes. Could he even last that long?

Before he could give her a direct answer, his eyes caught sight of a somewhat familiar blonde a few yards away. _June_. She was walking with a girl he had recognized as a frequent customer down at the DX and though the girl, Stella, seemed to notice Soda's presence, June paid no mind.

Even when Stella pointed over in their direction, all the blonde did was glance up and nod at whatever her friend was saying before looking back at the car they had just gotten out of.

"Well?" Donna repeated. "Are ya?"

"What?" Soda muttered, snapping back to the hazel-eyed reality staring back at him. "Oh, um—"

"Ain't that the skirt always at the DX?" Steve asked, looking at the approaching girl with hair darker than night. She was always a pretty little thing but he wasn't dumb enough to say that in front of Evie. However, she had this way of knowing _exactly_ what he was thinking and as he slowly turned to face the girl on his arm, he almost smirked at her glare. "What?" he played innocent. "I was just askin'."

Despite herself, Evie smirked – but not before swatting his bicep rather roughly. "Pig."

"Yeah, that's her." Soda chimed in, looking at the girl briefly before turning his attention the blonde behind her. "Her friend's the one from the rodeo."

Steve furled his brow before looking just passed Stella only to see who Soda was referring to. "Yeah, blondie with the red boots." He said with a slight nod. "She's lucky Two-Bit ain't here."

Donna, who had finally snapped her gaze away from Sodapop, looked forward and noticed the two girls instantly. The darker haired one was nearing closer and closer but it was the blonde in the distance that made her see red. Both girls were pretty and both of them were undeniably Soc's – but the blonde was trouble. At least where Sodapop was concerned.

"Odd seein' you boys without a pump in your hand." Stella said as she approached the group. Sodapop had to tip his hat off to the girl; took one tough broad to approach a couple of Greaser's in the middle of the night.

"Soda'll have to pump a lot more than some gas if Miss Hips doesn't quit bouncin' all over the place." Steve grinned at his friend only to notice that Soda's eyes were focused _just_ beyond the girl before him. Instead, they were focused on a particular blonde not fifty yards away. _The hell?_ "Who ya here with, darlin'?" Steve asked all the while keeping an eye on his friend. "Or just come over here to join the party?"

Stella glanced down at Steve only to notice the pretty girl on his arm. From afar she looked innocent enough but the closer she got, she could see the almost audacious look in her murky eyes. They were dark and she seemed to almost dare her to make a move on Steve.

She suddenly wished she hadn't approached the group. Not without a witness, at least.

"My friend, June." She answered slowly. "Told her I was coming over to say a quick 'hello' but she didn't think it wise her comin' over here."

Donna, who had been silent up until now, looked at the girl and smirked. "Smart girl."

Soda ignored the girl on his lap but gently tapped her on the rear as a sign to get off. At first, Donna remained still and merely glared down at him, but when he raised an amused brow at her persistence, she only huffed and hopped off of his lap.

His amusement, however, dwindled the second a tall man stepped out from behind the truck June had been standing in front of. He seemed to say something to her which warranted a small, well-bred smile to pull up the corners of her lips. It wasn't until his arm fell around her shoulders that Soda looked back at Stella in confusion.

"Who's that?"

Stella, who was midsentence, slowly shut her mouth as her brows pulled together. Slowly, she followed his line of sight only to see his eyes were trained on June and Teddy. "Ah. That's the reason I snuck over here in the first place. That's Teddy. It's their first date."

Steve's brows furrowed as he looked at Soda who continued to look on in bewilderment. Had he missed something? She was a pretty blonde Soc – the last he checked, it wasn't all too uncommon for _them kind_ to go on dates – so why was his buddy so interested all of the sudden?

But even as Stella continued to talk, Steve watched in slight amusement as Soda practically ignored the girl before them to instead watch the blonde's every move. She seemed to be counting some change in her purse before saying something to her date who only nodded and watched her walk off towards the concession stand.

"Stella!" A loud voice cried out from just beyond the group.

The raven haired girl looked up towards a blue Mustang which had just pulled in and immediately grinned upon seeing just who was inside. Seemingly knowing the company, she uttered a quick goodbye before practically running off towards them.

"Thought she'd never leave." Donna quipped before climbing back onto Sodapop's lap.

Quietly, Steve cleared his throat which gained Soda's attention almost instantly. At first, all Steve did was raise his brow in question at his obvious gawking before nodding his head in the direction of the concessions. _Go_ , he silently told him.

Grinning, Sodapop winked at his buddy before tapping on Donna's hips yet again. "I'll be back." He muttered as he stood up to his full height.

"Where ya going?" she asked with a pout as she took her seat once again.

"Just gonna head to the can." He lied, shooting her a small smile before turning on his heel. At first, he did indeed make it look like he was heading in that direction, but the second he was out of sight, he went right to the concessions area and – thankfully – spotted the blonde almost instantly.

At first, she didn't seem to notice him. Even as he walked up directly behind her and began humming a song he had recognized from the radio, she was in her own little world. It wasn't until he resorted to clearing his throat that her unfamiliar green eyes shot up to look at him in confusion. At first, the confusion melted into what he assumed to be shock before a small smirk broke out across her face.

"I should have known when Stella ran off it was on account of you." She said, toying with the change in her hands.

An instant grin broke out across his lips as he took in the blonde's features. She looked different now that she wasn't dressed in her rodeo garb, but Soda couldn't deny the girl's attractive features. Her long blonde hair was waved nicely and pulled away from her face which only made the greens of her eyes pop out all the more so. He couldn't remember her eye colour that night of the rodeo, but now he wasn't sure he could forget them.

On her body, she wore a pale blue dress that came to her knees, belted at the waist with a yellow cardigan overtop. Standing next to her alone was enough to make him almost laugh at his own plaid shirt and jean combination; it was no wonder they were getting such weird looks.

"And here I thought it was on account of wanting to avoid you and Teddy dearest." He quipped back, still grinning ear to ear as they slowly shuffled up the line.

The earned him quite the glare and for a split second he thought she was going to turn on her heel and ignore him, but when all she did was shake her head, he knew he was in the clear. "That's not fair." She grumbled under her breath as she reached around to grab two Coke's. "He's real nice."

"He's _real nice_?" Soda asked with a laugh. " _Real nice_ is how you describe the weather. It ain't how you describe a date." He looked out towards where he knew she had parked and caught a quick glimpse of the dope she had come here with. He was wearing a plaid madras shirt tucked into a pair of beige pants with loafers to match. He almost laughed out loud. "Then again, maybe _real nice_ suits him _just_ fine."

Despite herself, she smirked but covered it up the second it had crawled across her lips. "Quit bein' mean." She warned, but the lightness in her tone only made Soda's grin grow. "You don't hear me making fun of your date, do ya?"

"Be a little hard to do seeing as how I don't have one." Soda asked, shoving his hands in the back pocket of his jeans.

The blonde cocked her head to the side as she peered up at him. "I suppose the girl bouncin' around your lap a few minutes ago was just my imagination?"

Soda smirked recklessly. "She ain't my date."

"No? What is she then?" June asked, stealing a sip of the Coke in her hand. When all Sodapop did was smirk down at her, she knew she had her answer. "Oh."

The blush that swept up her cheekbones was enough to drive him crazy. "Besides, I don't believe in taking a date to a _movie_ of all places." He said the word like it was venom on his tongue. "But, hey, what do you expect with a guy like that?"

June glowered across at him. "What's wrong with a movie?"

Soda threw a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth and shrugged. "It's no place for a first date."

The blonde handed the correct amount of change to the young cashier and Sodapop followed in suit. "Oh, no?" she asked, stepping out of the way to allow those behind them access to the cash register. "And where would you take a girl on your first date?"

He shrugged and leaned against the wall of the concession. "Depends on the girl." He simply said, eyeing her carefully. "If it was you?" His handsome smile grew as he took in her pretty blonde hair and sweet olive eyes. "Dancing."

The smile he got in return drove him crazy. She had this way about her, this civil and guarded way that he'd seen in plenty Soc's in his lifetime. But the second she smiled, _really_ smiled, all those guards fell down. She had one wild smile and Soda was sure his own must have stretched a mile wider on account of it.

"You'd take me dancing, hmm?" she asked. "A boy like you likes to dance?"

"A boy like me loves to dance. Ain't nothin' better than letting off some steam and dancing sure as hell does that." He shrugged his broad shoulders as a chilly wind blew between them. "'Sides, a pretty dance partner sure doesn't hurt."

A moment of silence fell between them, but the evident smiles on both of their faces was enough to say a million things all at once.

Unfortunately, the moment was sullied as soon as June lowered her gaze to the ground separating them. "I should go." She mumbled under her breath. "I'm sure Teddy thinks I've gone and run off on him."

"Wouldn't be the worst thing." Was all Soda said, earning him one small, final smile from the blonde before him.

She peered up into his dark eyes and slowly let the smile fall from her lips. "I'll see you around, Sodapop."

All Soda did was nod at the girl before pushing himself off of the wall. "Sure hope so." He said as she slowly made her way back to her date.

And glory, did he mean it.

* * *

 **A/N:** For as peaches and cream as it is right now I promise you this isn't going to be all 'lovey dovey fall in love without a plot' type of thing. And I assure you, the rest of the gang are going to be in it much more in the coming chapters and throughout the entirety of the story than they have been thus far.

Thanks so much for the alerts and reviews – they mean a lot!

 _Please_ keep 'em coming! x


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